TinyGarage Support

TinyGarage is in development for iPhone and iPad running iOS 17 or later. There is no public download yet.

For questions or feedback, email ysh@yishanhe.net. For a bug report, include your device model, iOS version, app version and the steps that led to the issue. Share only the records or photos needed to explain it.

What can I record?

Keep brand, model, release year, series, color, variant, scale, packaging, condition, quantity, storage location, notes and multiple photos. Unknown details can stay blank. Owned and wanted status are separate from your custom lists.

Search works offline across record details. Possible-duplicate notices use broad brand and model matches; they do not verify an exact variant, and records are never automatically merged.

Can I bring an existing spreadsheet?

Export your spreadsheet as a UTF-8 CSV, then open Settings → Import & Backup. Choose the file, map its columns and review the rows. You can exclude rows before confirming the import. Invalid rows must be corrected or excluded. Imported rows are appended to your garage.

CSV export includes editable text fields and quantities. It does not include photos, favorites, original dates, catalogs or exact-variant links. Use a full backup for recovery.

How do catalogs and checklists work?

Open Garage → Catalog & Checklists to import a source-attributed catalog CSV or load the optional free starter catalog. Search loaded catalogs offline by details or barcode, filter by series or owned/wanted/missing status, and select an exact variant to prefill a new record.

Catalog links connect your records to checklist counts. Changing a record’s identity fields removes that link; updating a catalog never overwrites your personal records. The starter catalog is a small attributed sample, not a complete brand catalog.

What does packaging scanning do?

In the car editor, choose Scan Packaging to Prefill. The app reads text and barcodes from a photo on your device. Choose which recognized text goes into each field, then review the draft before saving. A barcode can be added to notes.

Detected barcodes also show matches from your loaded catalogs, including owned quantities. Select the exact variant yourself before applying it. A barcode may describe an assortment; the app never chooses an exact variant automatically. Scanning does not identify a vehicle from its appearance or authenticate a collectible.

How do I protect my collection?

In Settings → Import & Backup, use Save Full Backup to Files to export records, lists, photos and catalogs. Full backups preserve record IDs, dates, favorites and exact-variant links. Profile settings and app preferences are not included.

You can also choose a folder for automatic backups. TinyGarage writes copies after changes while the app is running and retries when reopened. Choose iCloud Drive or another cloud-provider folder for off-device recovery, and check that the provider has uploaded the files. The app’s last-written time confirms a file write, not a completed cloud upload.

The app keeps ten rolling local backups. Local backups and folders under On My iPhone do not protect against device loss. Keep a full copy outside the app before deleting it. External backup files remain until you remove them in Files.

Can I export my photos with the collection?

Choose Settings → Import & Backup → Export Collection with Photos. TinyGarage creates a folder containing Collection.csv with relative photo paths, a Photos folder with original saved images, and TinyGarage-backup.json for a full restore. The included README explains how to use the files. This is a portable export, not live device sync.

Does it sync my garage across devices?

Live collection sync is not available. You can move a collection with a full backup and restore. Restore replaces the current collection after a preview and confirmation; the previous file is preserved before replacement.

Is there a subscription?

The current development build has no payment requirement. Release availability and pricing have not been announced.

Read about privacy and terms of use.